I am very fortunate to have made a lovely Japanese friend, Hidemi (thanks to our respective daughters for introducing us!) and we recently went to see an exhibition of Japanese lighting. I have posted a few photographs below but it is impossible to recreate the staging of them in such a fascinating building.

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The Hyakudan Kaidan, dating from 1931 and once a restaurant, is now attached to a very swish hotel, that serves as an upmarket wedding venue. Each of the seven rooms in this old part each have a different theme, but all have beautiful pillars, decorated panels and painted ceilings. And the seven rooms are connected by a wooden staircase of 99 steps. I will use some photos from their website to give you a peek into this fabulous building.

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I met three ladies dressed in their kimonos and asked if I could take their photo … they laughingly made sure I was also in the shot. Don’t I look scruffy in comparison! In many old buildings here it is common to remove outdoor shoes, hence my Sandie Shaw impersonation (that dates me!). The other photo is of Hidemi sitting in an outdoor area of the hotel.

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